- Friday, June 28, 2024
Imran Khan, 71, has been in Adiala Jail since August last year, initially sentenced in the Toshakhana corruption case, which was later suspended.
By: Vivek Mishra
An Islamabad court has rejected Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s appeals to suspend their sentences in an illegal marriage case.
The decision by additional district and sessions judge Afzal Majoka upholds their convictions based on a complaint from Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband, Khawar Fareed Maneka.
Maneka alleged that Khan and Bushra Bibi married during her Iddat period, a mandatory waiting period in Islamic law before a woman can remarry following divorce or the death of her husband.
The court’s 10-page order concluded that there were no grounds to suspend the sentence under section 426 Cr.PC, dismissing their petitions.
Khan, 71, has been in Adiala Jail since August last year, initially sentenced in the Toshakhana corruption case, which was later suspended.
This latest ruling means Khan remains incarcerated solely in connection with the Iddat case.
The verdict led to protests outside the court by supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, who also blocked a nearby road.
PTI leaders vowed to challenge the decision in the Islamabad High Court, condemning what they described as an unjust ruling.
Khan and Bushra Bibi’s marriage in 2018, during Khan’s tenure as prime minister, drew significant attention.
Bushra, Khan’s third wife, was initially known as his spiritual guide before their relationship evolved.
Her divorce from a 28-year marriage preceded their union, which remained a focal point in Pakistani political discourse.
(With PTI inputs)
